We as a council believe action is needed to respond to racism and racial discrimination, reflected through existing inequalities and highlighted both by the Black Lives Matter movement, and brought into sharp focus through the killing of George Floyd in the USA, and by the differential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both happenings are of global and local impact, and absolutely require a global and local response. Both have been called pandemics by their nature - and their ability to infect life outcomes for people and communities, universally. Both have an immediacy - but are also built on structural inequalities in our society developed over time.
In Haringey, we have been exploring and responding to inequalities for some time through work carried out under a number of banners, including the Fairness Commission, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Attainment, Alternative Provision Review implementation, Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Young People at Risk Strategy, Housing and Homelessness Approaches and a range of others.
Recognising the need for urgent and thoughtful action, which builds on what we already know, what we do now and plan to do for the future will have a profound impact on the future of civil society in Haringey, and more widely, over the coming months and years.
We understand that complex, entrenched and structural inequalities cannot be solved overnight and that no single programme or project will achieve our shared goal. It will take concerted action from all of us to make change happen.
